Banks: 09:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, Saturday and Sunday 09:00 to 15:00
Post Offices: 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday
Department Stores and Shops: 10:00 to 22:00, daily, some closed on Sundays Museums: 09:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, some open on weekends
Business Offices: 09:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday

The city of Kunming is a safe place to be with low levels of crime and few obvious threats to visitors. Like any big city however, it has its rogue element so the usual caveats with regards to pickpockets and bag snatchers apply. Keep money, wallets, purses and personal items of value well hidden and in hard to reach places. Avoid frequenting run-down or sparsely populated areas especially at night and be particularly conscientious with regards to personal safety if you are a lone female traveller. Fake goods are prevalent on the streets of Kunming and while they might seem like tempting purchases, beware that you could be faced with their being impounded and charges brought against you when attempting to bring them back into your home country.

Electricity: 220V, 50Hz

Be wary of where you choose to eat in Kunming, hygiene standards at street vendors and some restaurants may not meet western standards and you could end up with a whole lot more than just a portion of fried rice if you’re not careful. Water from the taps should be avoided for drinking purposes and for brushing teeth and bottled water, which is cheap, can be found everywhere and should be used instead. Health care in Kunming’s public hospitals is below what is considered international standard so visitors requiring medical care are advised to make use of the newly-opened Richland International Hospital whose telephone number is listed below.

Tel: +86 871 5744205

Emergency services: 131/132/133

Mandarin is the official language spoken in Kunming, although the greater Yunnan region has a large variety of local dialects that are of Chinese, Thai and Tibetan origin. English is not commonly spoken, except in popular hotels and tourist-friendly restaurants.

The official currency of Kunming is the Renminbi (RMB) of which the principle unit is the Yuan. Renminbi is issued both in notes and coins. Notes come in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 Yuan; 5, 2 and 1 Jiao; and 5, 2 and 1 Fen. Coins come in denominations of 1 Yuan; 5, 2 and 1 Jiao; and 5, 2 and 1 Fen.

ATMs invariably accept foreign cards, although those issued by the likes of Visa, Access, Mastercard. AMEX and Diner’s Club are the safest bets. Currency exchange services are offered by the majority of banks while some of the larger hotels may also provide such services. Be sure to keep your passport handy when conducting any financial transactions.

Visitors entering the country are permitted to bring up to 400 cigarettes, two bottles of liquor each not exceeding 0.75 litre, a reasonable quantity of perfume for personal use and one item of electrical equipment.

Chinese etiquette is notoriously intricate to the outsider and it would take some time of complete immersion in the culture to be able to grasp all of its finer points. Basic rules however are easy to follow and it’s worthwhile for visitors to learn and observe them. For example, meeting a Kunming local for the first time, a visitor should greet him/her with a simple handshake and address him/her using their surname plus the appropriate title. Avoid openly criticising somebody, especially in a public place as this is likely to cause a loss of face which is a cultural no-no in China. Shoes should always be removed before entering a temple or home.

Rules for dining at a restaurant or at the home of a Kunming local are similar although in the latter case you should make sure to remove shoes before entering a place of residence and bring some small token of your appreciation for the host/hostess. The general rules of dining include: refraining from eating until all guests are seated and the host has begun his/her meal; mastering the art of using chopsticks and remembering that it’s polite to lay them down in between mouthfuls of food or when engaging in conversation; trying a little bit of everything that your host/hostess offers you, at the risk of otherwise offending them; keeping your rice bowl close to your mouth when eating and always remember that it is considered impolite to take the last piece of food from the serving plate.

All visitors are required to have a visa to enter China plus a passport which is valid for at least six months from the date of entering the country. Visas can be obtained from the Chinese embassy in your home country. All visitors are required to complete a health declaration on arrival at the Kunming airport and those who are HIV positive will be denied further access.

Call the Yunnan Tourist Service Quality Supervision Office on:
+ 86 (0)871 3537361